A convicted murderer, appearing in court for sodomising a fellow convict, shocked a magistrate when he broke down and confessed to another murder, saying his victim was haunting him. Trymore Ndlovu, 30, an inmate at Khami Maximum Prison, was called to the dock by Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube who was in the process of remanding him for aggravated indecent assault, when he dropped the bombshell.

He said he killed a man and got away with the crime. Ndlovu said he had to confess because his victim was haunting him.

He told the court he was afraid of falling asleep because every time he does, a big snake appears in his dreams and orders him to confess.

"I killed a man before I was incarcerated for another murder. All in all I killed two people but I was only serving for killing one person. The police did not arrest me for killing the other one. I am confessing so that I have peace. I can't sleep in prison. Every day I always see a big snake in my dreams telling me to go and confess to his family. I have been troubled enough, please help to locate the man's family so that I confess to them. I believe that is the only way I can know peace," pleaded a haggard looking Ndlovu.

Magistrate Dube was nonplussed.

She took some time to digest the confession before asking: "You mean you killed two people?" To which Ndlovu said "Yes".

He seemed bursting to tell his story.

The magistrate told Ndlovu to go back to custody adding that homicide detectives would visit him in prison to get the full story. Ndlovu was not asked to plead on the aggravated indecent assault charge and was remanded in custody to September 22.

Prosecuting Sibekithemba Dube said another prisoner who was not in court, dragged the complainant to Ndlovu's cell, where he was violated.

"The accused person indecently assaulted the 20-year-old complainant, who is also serving at Khami Maximum Prison," she said.

The court heard that on 7 July at around 8AM at Khami, the victim was cleaning his cell when another inmate Emmanuel Morross dragged him to Ndlovu's cell.

While inside the cell, Ndlovu threatened to whip him with a piece of wire and ordered him to remove his shorts. He complied and Ndlovu sodomised him. The victim told another inmate who later reported what had transpired to the prison officers.

The magistrate said Morross should also be charged as an accomplice to the crime and should appear with Ndlovu on September 22.